ICE Training Camp 2000 – Roster Spots hard to come by

By Jeff Bromley

August 31st, 2000

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Now that the bevies of rookies havemoved on to make room for returningveterans and up and comers looking tomake their mark on the 2000 edition ofthe Kootenay ICE, one thing hasbecome abundantly clear – there isn’tmuch room at the Kootenay ICE inn.About 50 players will hit the pond atCranbrook’s Memorial Arena over theweekend, including five holdovers fromRookie camp who earned a longer lookfrom ICE brass at the Main camp heldSept 1-4. Joining the Main camp is localproducts Alex Staudt (Cranbrook),Brayden Snopek (Cranbrook), RyanMcleod (Fernie) along with TravisFeatherstone (Calgary) and Zac Fisher(Trail). Although all five of theseprospects are considered longshots tomake the club, the experience will nodoubt help their development for futureICE training camps.

Rookies– The one enduring quality of aclub that could be returning possibly 18– 20 WHL veterans is that with a 24-man limit to the teams’ roster, it paresdown dramatically the decision makingprocess that must be made in assessingthe 2-3 rookies (16 yr old’s) that theclub will in all likelihood carry with themthis season. North Delta B.C. product Andy Thompson (6’3″ – 205lbs) andCourtenay, B.C. native Adam Taylor(6’0″ – 180lbs) are two names that youshould probably familiarize yourself withas the two highly touted 1st and 2nd (7thand 25th overall) 1999 Bantam Draftpicks are expected to be the front-runners for the coveted rookie spots onthe 2000 edition of the Kootenay ICE.The aforementioned Cranbrook native,Alex Staudt (6’2″ – 170) should alsopush for a freshman roster spot butsome feel that he is still another yearaway. If his rookie camp performance isany indication, Staudt shone in the lastRookie camp inter-squad game, hecould make some noise.

17 yr old Familiar Faces – Out of lastseason’s rookie crop, two of the threewill be expected to pick up their gameand hope for much more expanded rolesthat they played with the club lastseason. To expect more out of the othersophomore is, to be blunt, a scarythought. Besides the added motivationof playing for another possible MemorialCup-bound team, Dan Blackburnplaying in his NHL draft year ismotivation overload for the Canmore,Alta. native. How he handles the addedhype and pressure of being a possibletop ten NHL draft pick will hopefully beonly a small hurdle on his road tostardom. Big years are expected fromhis teammates Tyler Dyck and JordanWallin. They were brought along slowlylast season and had limited ice-time.These season both will be fully expectedto play major roles in the offense anddefense, respectively. Also battling for aspot will be Strathmore, Alta. nativeKyle Sheen (6’1″ – 180). After theexhibition of hustle and hitting this kidput on in the three games he played lastseason with the ICE, his roster spot willbe all but sewn up if he comes to campwith the same intensity and tenacity.Barring a complete turnaround in hisplay from last season, Sheen will makean impact on the club this year and nodoubt become a fan favorite. Big D-manDerek L’Hirondelle (6’4″ – 210) couldalso have an outside chance at stickingwith the club.

18 & 19 yr old Vets – In thisdepartment, the ICE are certainly notleft wanting. This group, barringinevitable trading activity with theTwenty yr old situation will be the onewith the least amount of changes.Familiar names such as Stoll, Jaffray,Johnson, Hamula, Iannone, Sinclair,Fischer, Beechey should all be on yourprogram come opening day. But thereare some questions to be raised with thisgroup. Will this be the year Cranbrooknative Kevin Livingston makes the club?What about the status of SteveMcCarthy? Will he be back? If hisshoulder has healed, will he make theNHL Blackhawks. Has he played his lastgame for the ICE? – Stay tuned – In thenext month these questions and morewill be answered as opening day for theWHL’s 2000-01 season draws nearer.